


The World of Eos: A Comprehensive Guide

by Echo (Lyrecho)



Series: we are made of star-stuff [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon Rewrite, Fabula Nova Crystallis Allusions, Gen, Lore Guide, Mythology - Freeform, Politics, Pre-Canon Divergence, Religion, Worldbuilding, not canon at all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-20 21:31:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9517031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrecho/pseuds/Echo
Summary: From religion to mythology, magic systems to technology, kingdoms to politics to war; a lore guide for the|we are made of star-stuff|alternate universe series.Chapters will be short briefings that focus in on one thing. Not a necessary read to understand the greater series, but a fun one!Completely disregards most things established in canon unless the author decided they were relevant.|Tumblr||Twitter|





	1. Religion: The Establishment of Cosmology

The religion of Eos is like religion anywhere; complicated, and differing by region. The pantheon of gods worshipped on the continent has **three generations.**

 **First Generation:** Cosmos, creator goddess of the world. Outside of carvings found amidst the rubble of Solheim, very little is known of Cosmos except for the fact that she did exist.

 **Second Generation:** Eos  & Etro, the goddess of dawn and the goddess of the dead. While both were worshipped equally at one point, with the advent of the Scourge and the Accursed, Etro - patron goddess of the city both plagues originated in - was shunned. By the current era, worship of this goddess has fallen almost completely except for in Lucis. Eos, though still worshipped en masse, lies asleep in Her Field, and leaves the guarding of 'Her' world to the **third generation.**

 **Third Generation:** The Six, the Hexatheon; Titan, Ramuh, Leviathan, Shiva, Bahamut  & Ifrit make up the third generation of the pantheon and are considered the gods to follow by modern standards of religion (though Eos is still revered, especially by the people of Niflheim, who shun the Six due to reasons further explored in the **Niflheim** section)

Each of the 'Astrals' that made up the Six watched over a certain area of the world, considered patron gods and godesses much the way Etro was (and is) to Lucis.

The religious heart of Eos is **Tenebrae** , home to the blood of the **Oracle** , a line filled with young women long chosen by Eos to recieve Her word. When the goddess retired for Her long sleep, before She sent the Six to Eos, She told Her Oracle of Their coming, and thus the Oracle changed the **Word** accordingly. In compliance with Lady Eos' wishes, today it is the Six that recieve direct worship in Her place.

The **Word** is the general umbrella term for the Holy Books of Eos. Two exist, currently - one each for the second and third generations of the pantheon. If ever one existed for Cosmos, it was lost alongside all other knowledge of the creator goddess.

 **Cosmosis** is the first, and centers around both Eos and Etro; the **second generation.** Most of the chapters in it were written by **Nadir** , who would later also write several passages in the **Cosmogony.** Given how early the **Cosmosis** was written, as well as the contradictions that appear from chapter to chapter within it, it is largely considered 'non-canon' by the standards of modern religion, though it is still printed and circulated as one of the first works done by the 'mad' prophet Nadir, the man who claimed to hear Eos' voice first.

 **Cosmogony** , in comparison to its predesescor, was written not by one man but by a collection of individuals including Nadir and the Oracle of the time. Its first chapters document the last days of Eos' reign before She passed the torch to the Six and the arrival of the Astral Shards that carried them to the continent from the Unseen Realm. The **Cosmogony** is the **Word** used most frequently today, and is also the best selling book of all time.

The name of the religion of Eos is **Cosmology** , not to be confused with the scientific study of the same name. Those who practice it practice **Cosmotheism.** There are several exclusively cosmotheistic holdiays, such as **Cosmolatry** (the New Year period, a winter that takes place over a one week period), **Cosmism** (the anniversary of the day the Astral Shards touched down on Eos) and **Cosmetra** (no specified date for this holiday as it changes from generation to generation; it is the celebration of the Oracle's **Acension** ).

 **Acension** is the term used to describe the occasion of a daughter of the oracle bloodline taking up her birthright and all the responsiblities and powers that come with it. Lady Lunafreya's **Acension** took place on March 24th, M.E. 748, and that is currently the date of **Cosmetra**.


	2. Empires & Kingdoms: Solheim, Niflheim & Lucis

The continent of Eos is broken up into various regions, each with their own people, rulers and laws. In the Modern Era, most fall under the purview of **Niflheim** , but all three 'kingdoms' still hold a unique power, even in this day and age. (Note: **Tenebrae** , though a kingdom in its own right, falls under the purview of both **Niflheim** and the **Order of Cosmology** , and thus is not included in here. **Accordo** is a democratic neutral state within the conquered territories of **Niflheim** and will not be included in this section either)

 **Solheim** is the oldest known civilisation of mankind. It was a vast empire during the period of the **first generation** of the pantheon all the way through to just past the advent of the **third generation** and while all that remains of it and its people today is ruins and rubble in a once prosperous land turned into a desert, its presence is still felt today. **Nomads** , either descended from survivors of **Solheim** or simply from lands across the sea, make their home amidst the ruins and have formed a sort of sovereign traders nation. During holidays and the cooler periods, nomads can be spotted in cities trading their wares before heading back out to the ruins of **Solheim.**

 **Niflheim** could be considered **Solheim's** younger sister. It certainly aspired to be just like that first empire, following in many of its steps after the empire's formation, though there are _some_ changes that we know about - fairly exciting, given just how little knowledge of **Solheim** actually survived its fall.

At first, there were **three** regions considered to be 'kingdoms': **Lucis, Solheim,** and **Tenebrae.** They were considered the hubs of the ancient world due to the fact that they each held a crystal given to them by Eos, each holding a potent magic that would answer only to the blood of the ruling family.

 **Solheim's** crystal was lost with its fall and **Tenebrae's** was shattered in the riots in the capital shortly after the empire's fall; only **Lucis** still holds their own crystal.

 **Niflheim** , without the need to worry about continuing a specific royal bloodline in order to control and obtain the crystal's power, built a powerful empire focused in on one thing: knowledge. Each Emperor or Empress has chosen their would be successor from among the brightest minds of their people; rarely has nepotism played into it.

Currently, the Aldercapt line has held the throne for three generations, each more successful for the empire than the last, though with the current Emperor Aldercapt's lack of a wife or any children and given his late years, it seems as if this trend is finally meeting its end. It's unknown who, exactly, the Emperor will choose as his heir - unlike those before him, he's never been seen in public with any of the young up-and-comers of **Niflheim** \- but nevertheless, the world watches eagerly for when he will make his deciscion.

In the absence of a viable chosen heir, power is given over to the one that holds power as **Regent.** If no heir is available, the one holding the power of the **Regent** will ascend to **Emperor**. Unlike the status of **Emperor** , which is a title one must earn to be given, the **Regency** is passed down a bloodline raised to serve the **Emperor** as a sort of fallback of continuity within the empire so that the governing powers may never fall like they did for Solheim. The **Emperor** has the power to veto a bloodline and grant their **Regency** to another family, however, something that has happened a total of five times since **Niflheim's** establishment.

Currently, the **Regency** is held by the line of **Besithia** , and has been throughout the entirety of Aldercapt rule.

When the Six first arrived, the patron of **Niflheim** was the **Draconian, Bahamut**. Because of this, the Royal Seat of **Niflheim** is also called **The Dragon's Throne.**

Indeed, the current coat of arms belonging to **Niflheim** \- a flame, representative of their current patron, the **Infernian, Ifrit** \- is not actually the emblem that represents the **Infernian** himself, but **Bahamut's** breath of flame from their original coat of arms, stylised in deference to their new patron.

After **Bahamut's** 'betrayal,' the entirety of **Niflheim** reverted back to archaic **Cosmology** , turning their backs on the modern version of the religion and worshipping Eos Herself alone.

 **Lucis** , the kingdom of those that still worship Etro, hold the last living crystal known to man. Once, they had no patron from among the Six, as Etro still watched over them personally, but sometime after the fall of **Solheim** and the shattering of **Tenebrae's** crystal, **Bahamut** left **Niflheim** (supposedly on Eos' order, one of the only times on record of the sleeping goddess speaking from the Unseen Realm since She went to Her rest) to watch over this last of the crytals Eos had gifted to Her favoured children, and became the patron of **Lucis** instead, more specifically guardian to the ruling line, the **Caelum** blood that held a connection with the crystal.

 **Lucis** also holds a longstanding alliance with **Tenebrae** , even though they are the only kingdom to not convert fully to **Cosmology;** and a bitter rivalry with **Niflheim** , who have long beseiged the **Crown City of Insomnia** for an opportunity to destroy the crystal in which their former patron **Bahamut** rests as payment for the insult afforded to **Niflheim** by His 'betrayal.'

Beyond the line of **Caelum** , the ranks of the **Crownsguard** have long been headed by the **Amicitia** family, who have stood by the ruling family since one of their first daughters married the first King to wield the power of the crystal since **Bahamut** began to stand guard over it, **Izunia.**


End file.
